Israel Matzav

Bush administration defends the 'honor' of insulted Dhimmi

Surprisingly, the Bush administration has registered an official protest against remarks made by Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Gillerman in which Gillerman called former President Jimmy Carter an bigot enemy of Israel for meeting with Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal.

A senior Foreign Ministry source said Saturday that the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv asked that Gillerman be made aware of the U.S. administration's dissatisfaction with the disrespectful comments about the former U.S. President.

In addition, the State Department is planning to issue a public statement condemning comments made by Gillerman at a press conference in New York on Thursday, where he called Carter a "bigot."

...

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni refused yesterday to respond to the demand by MK Yossi Beilin that Gillerman be recalled for his statements against Carter. Beilin described the ambassador's statements as "mad."

A Livni aide said that the foreign minister does not normally communicate with Israeli ambassadors through the media.

However, a Foreign Ministry source said that Gillerman is due to leave his post in the coming months, following five years at the UN.

The same source said that Gillerman's attack on Carter "surprised and embarrassed" Jerusalem, which contravened direct instructions from Livni to avoid comments on the former president.

Even though Israel's political leadership expressed its reservations at Carter's intention to meet with the Hamas leaders, the Foreign Ministry contributed to coordinating his meetings and emphasized that no decision was taken to boycott him.

In other words, Gillerman is being condemned for forgetting diplomatic niceties and saying what everyone else here (and in Washington outside of the State Department for that matter) was thinking. If his term is up in a few months, look for him to join the Likud on his return to Israel. I'm sure Bibi Netanyahu is salivating at the prospect. Gillerman is the most effective UN Ambassador we have had since Bibi himself.

On the US side, I'm surprised to see the State Department defending Carter, but I guess that too is part of the diplomatic protocol.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:25 PM